BB NOTE: Watching the disaster in North Carolina of the Duke University students wrongfully accused by an over-zealous agenda-driven Durham County District Attorney (and then tried in the media and found guilty), we are reminded that it is not a good idea to make quick judgements (even if the accusations come from what should be a trustworthy source, be it an elected prosecutor or an elected bishop) when accusations are made primarily in the press. We have worked in Washington long enough to see what disasters follow when one is found guilty in the press (only to be acquitted later when no one cares anymore).This past week a group of former Vestry members of Grace & St. Stephen's in Colorado Springs published a public letter in their local newspaper. It has had quite a wide distribution throughout the internet all over the world.
Today the Senior Warden of Grace & St. Stephen's responds for the first time publicly. Today we will also be hearing for the first time from the rector of Grace/St. Stephen's as he officially responds (going on right now as we speak) for first time to the public accusations made against him. But notice how this is all being played out on the public stage. It is another tragic sign of the crisis and separation inside the Episcopal Church, make no mistake about it.
If this letter from the Senior Warden is any indication, we may have a full blown disaster of FEMA proportions in Colorado. Today is a good day to pray.
Saturday, April 14 2007
Dear Editor of The Gazette,
As senior warden of the vestry of Grace Church and St. Stephen’s I cannot let yesterday’s editorial by 19 current and former members of the Parish go unanswered. In their letter they have publicly questioned the trustworthiness of our priest and, by implication, the integrity of the duly elected members of the vestry, who serve as the governing fiduciary body of the Parish.
Let me first of all invite them and any and all persons of good will who are concerned about the financial matters of Grace Church and St. Stephen’s to a public forum this morning at 9:00 in the nave of the church at 631 N. Tejon Street. At this meeting the vestry will preside over Fr. Donald Armstrong’s formal response to the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado’s presentment. As the principal officer of the Colorado corporation of Grace Church and St. Stephen’s, I can assure all that the vestry eagerly awaits this forum for the truth to lay bare the reality behind all accusations, allegations, and charges for the matters in question.
As to the substantial points made in the letter of the 19 persons:
1. The vestry voted to leave the Episcopal Church on Monday morning, March 26, 2007 in a meeting at 8:00 am. Ironically, this can be confirmed by the Rev. Dr. Michael O’Donnell, the priest in charge of the dissenting congregation now
meeting at Shove Chapel. Fr. O’Donnell sat in supportive attendance of our meeting and immediately thereafter celebrated our decision to leave the Episcopal Church with us over coffee and donuts.
2. The Diocese of Colorado has recently released the presentment against Fr. Armstrong after a year of formulating these allegations. During the course of the year, the Bishop has prevented Fr. Armstrong from making any public response.
Fr. Armstrong has never been accorded the opportunity to respond to allegations before any ecclesiastical review committee or court. The sad reality is that for any justice to prevail in the face of such a contorted ecclesiastical system, Fr. Armstrong has had to leave the Episcopal Church of his ancestors in order to be free to defend himself against the allegations in question. This defense formally begins today in a public forum that will be presided over by the vestry with a congregation assembled to pass their own private judgment on the matter.
3. Regarding the question of scholarships, it was in fact, John Simmons, one of the letter’s 19 signatories and Sr. Warden at the time, who approved the scholarships – based in part on the fact that he had similar arrangements at Colorado College. His wife, Frear, was retained by the parish (at her husband’s suggestion) as an attorney to ensure that the vestry’s actions were legal and that the Parish was in compliance with the specified stipulations of the related trusts.
4. The church has not been “taken” or “raided” by the vestry, nor has anyone been forced to leave the parish. The vestry’s action to leave the Episcopal Church on March 26 was a pre-emptive defensive measure to protect the parish from an expected hostile take-over by the Diocese of Colorado. Our current provisional membership status in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) allows the congregation to make a real choice in self-determination. In the Parish plebiscite scheduled for Sunday, May 20th the congregation will ratify or veto the vestry’s decision to leave the Episcopal Church. In the meantime, all members in good standing have been invited to fully participate in a 40 day period of discernment and to cast their vote on May 20th. At this time Grace Church and St. Stephen’s will either formally separate from the Episcopal Church or remain in it. Frankly, the Bishop’s effort to establish an alternative dissenting church is premature, divisive, schismatic, and unhelpful to the process we have set up for full participation of our body in this crucial decision making process about the future of the Parish.
5. We disagree with opinion of the 19 and believe that Grace Church and St. Stephen’s as a Colorado non-profit corporation has the lawful right of self-determination. As is publicly known, the Parish has recently entered El Paso County District Court to protect its rights to self-determination and property, both real and personal.
6. Regarding the letter’s reference to a “foreign leader,” I pray that I am not hearing anti-catholic or even racist connotations in its tone. If this is a reference to the Most Reverend Peter Akinola, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, it deeply saddens me. His missionary diocese in America has been recognized as legitimate by the Primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Furthermore, a holy man of God who was nominated to be World Magazine’s “Daniel of the Year” (2006) is undeserving of such contempt.
7. In the letter of the 19’s reaffirmation of their Christian faith and affection for Grace Church and St. Stephen’s, I cordially invite them to return to the parish and worship, pray, and study with us, to be reconciled to their priest of twenty-years, and to fully participate in the 40 days of discernment process concerning the future life of the Parish.
Respectfully,
Jon Wroblewski, Sr. Warden
Grace Church and St. Stephen’s
5 comments:
BB, where should we be looking for the first report from this morning's meeting at Grace?
I do hear you about caution, but I also note there something not quite right this situation in Colorado
1. The investigation of finances but no charges (short term score DioCO, long term Grace/Armstrong).
2. Music director sides with DioCO, despite being called a traitor and other uncharitably names, by cannon law, if he view Armstrong as abandoning, actually followed the rules.
3. Assoc. Rectors Armstrong hired stay with DioCO.
4. 19 one time vestry members feel strong enough to be heard to write a newspaper. Since you are one of 18 members that make up the Truro vestry, that's a wake up call. Now, Truro has more of a strong executive structure and that unanimous vote cuts down on politics but creates a weak vestry. In fact some of the tension I've had with Truro is the low bar of standards for vestry member behavior, outside Truro vestry is held to a higher account. So I'd take the efforts to be heard as serious challenge. Maybe more so than you.
5. ACI decides to graciously cut all ties: In consequence of the legal and ecclesiastical struggles Grace Church and Fr Armstrong are now engaged with, we judge it proper to dissolve our relationship with the web-site and all activities of Grace Church (CANA or TEC), so that the charges of the Presentment and other matters of public trust and ecclesial jurisdiction might be resolved without interference. signed Christopher Seitz, President Philip Turner, Vice-President Ephraim Radner, Senior Fellow.
I have grown up in Washington! First Armstrong is innocent until he has his day in court and adjudicated guilty!!! I suspect that the bishop has found a minor infraction, maybe no more than a clerical error, but something enough not to drop but also not major to bring charges quickly (else the IRS could easily assist).
I don't think this is legal. I think there is something much deeper here. Some reason people who Fr. Armstrong has hired and others who were on the governance board of the parish are abandoning him.
Maybe the leadership style was not in accord to Matt 20:25-26, Mark 10:42-43, Luke 22:25-26. This may be my own basis for I know personally what happens when one in leadership using it to bully for his egotistical purpose (James 3:16 is real) -- that's mine, I do not know Rev. Armstrong, but I will say it odd that his allies are distancing themselves and he didn't convince the music director, two assoc. rectors and 19 former vestry members to his agenda.
I wonder what CANA has inherited here, it sure looks VERY odd.
I do think we need to pray - to watch and pray. I have been thinking over the last few days that the TEC target may really be to discredit Ephraim Radner.
External you are probably correct, but this is internal. TEC can not be blamed for decision of choir director, two assoc. rectors or former vestry, they each made their own decision and we should respect them that they decided on their own (probably what ACI did & decided to pull away to no longer be closely associated).
Oh, yeah I'm saying nothing about item #1 which is where "TEC target may really be to discredit Ephraim Radner" conspiracy would fit, I'm addressing #2-5.
This is obviously a divided parish. Who is doing the 40 Days after the vote. I understand that you might be a company woman and supporting CANA all the way. This tells me that the shepherd is not fully in tune with his flock.
The fruit here does not look good. It looks like a leader does not have buy-in to his plan, people who also have leadership have disagreement and a serious lack of pastoral care. This looks like a very poor witness.
I do think we need to pray - to watch and pray
Amen. That ALL parties be conformed into the image for Christ! That the Lord use what ever means necessary for their Sanctification, the Lord does not let up the until the gold is seen and may it be in our lives as well.
Not my will, not your will, not Fr. Armstrong's will, not TEC's will, but the perfect will of the Father
(A dangerous thing to ask for it was the Passion that lead to Easter).
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